Tag: June

HIGHLIGHTS

WhatsApp will end support for BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10

Support for Nokia S40, and Nokia S60 platforms also dropped

Users can upgrade to a new device or platform to continue using WhatsApp

WhatsApp users still on handsets running the ageing BlackBerry OS and Nokia S40 and S60 platforms will not be able to use the popular messaging service after June 30. The Facebook-owned company will officially pull the plug on the dated Nokia Symbian software and the BlackBerry OS as July starts. This comes after WhatsApp delayed ending support for them by six months, from the original date of December 2016 to June 2017. The reason behind WhatsApp killing support for old Nokia and BlackBerry phones is that they don’t have the capabilities needed to add new features in the app.

The most widely used instant messaging app had last year announced that it will drop support for a few platforms. The company later extended the support until June 2017 after BlackBerry expressed its disappointment with WhatsApp’s decision to abandon the platform. Support for Android 2.2 Froyo, iOS 6, and Windows Phone 7 was ended by WhatsApp in December last year.

In its Support page, WhatsApp explains, “These platforms [Nokia S40, S60, and BlackBerry OS] don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer OS version, or to a newer Android running OS 2.3.3+, iPhone running iOS 7+, or Windows Phone 8+ so that you can continue using WhatsApp.”

Interestingly, the lack of support for the old Nokia Symbian phones is the reason WhatsApp will not work on the new Nokia 3310 feature phone. The Facebook-owned company has advised that anyone with the above-mentioned older platforms who want to keep chatting with friends via WhatsApp will need to upgrade to a newer operating system or a new device.

WhatsApp also clarifies that currently there’s no way users can transfer your chat history between platforms though the company will provide the option to send your chat history attached to an email, if requested by users. You can head to WhatsApp’s Support page to understand the steps.

WhatsApp had previously emphasised how much the market changed in the years since WhatsApp was launched in 2009. Recapping the market, the messaging service said that in 2009 Android and iOS platforms were running on less than 25 percent of the devices, while BlackBerry and Nokia’s operating systems dominated the market with roughly a 70 percent share. WhatsApp’s decision to pull the plug on Symbian and BlackBerry, however, recaps how the platforms have lost popularity.

HIGHLIGHTS

Samsung has started rolling out a firmware update to its Galaxy S8+ smartphone in select markets. The new firmware update also brings June Android security patch that was recently released by Google.

Sammobile reports that the new update is now available in India apart from the European market. Samsung Galaxy S8+ users should start receiving the over-the-air notification for the update. As usual, users can also manually check for the update via Settings > About Phone > System Update. The update reportedly comes with software build G955FXXU1AQF7/ G955FOXM1AQF7/ G955FXXU1AQF7 which will differ depending on the region, and is about 450MB in size.

The firmware update for the Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Review) brings minor changes to navigation bar where icons will be added to the left-hand side of the navigation bar, which will now offer more room to users without the bar blocking it. The number of available background colours in navigation bar has been changed as well, and after the update, the background colour will be set to the default colour. The Samsung Galaxy S8+ update changeling also confirms that the update will improve quality of panorama images from Camera. As announced by Google, earlier this month, the June Android security update, which is included in the new firmware update, resolves around 100 issues.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8 had earlier received a firmware upgrade that included a fix for the red tint display issue that many users had reported.

Last week, Samsung made the Galaxy S8+ variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage available to buy in India. Priced at Rs. 74,900, the variant went on sale via Flipkart.

CARS.COM — Whatever the occasion — graduation, Father’s Day or your old car finally bit the dust — June is a good time to kick the tires on a new ride. This month has signaled the start of a summer ramp-up in new-car discounts for each of the past three years, according to Autodata Corp., and if certain cars we highlighted in past months are any indication, automakers appear ready to follow suit for 2017. Automotive News reports Jeep has thrown up to $4,000 on the hood of the 2017 Cherokee SUV. Ford is offering up to $4,150 off the 2017 Fusion, while Hyundai’s cash rebates on the 2017 Sonata go as high as $6,000. Get shopping.

Related: Off-Lease Car Glut Might Mean Used-Car Buyer’s Market

Which deals are worth a gander? Read on.

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

Cars.com photo by Evan Sears

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

How much can I save? Lots. Until July 5, cash rebates on the 2017 Santa Fe Sport go as high as $3,750. Hyundai posted an additional $1,500 off select versions of the SUV in every region we searched, but those could be needle-in-a-haystack examples depending on your dealer’s inventory. But the lesser discounts are still steep, and they come as sales for the Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport plunged 33.2 percent in May. Granted, that’s versus a gangbusters year-ago period, but the Sport still averaged 81 days to sell last month — notably more than the 70-day average for all 2017 models.

What about discount financing? Qualified borrowers can get rates as low as 0.9 percent.

Any deals on the non-sport Santa Fe? Some, but not as much. Cash discounts on the Santa Fe Sport’s three-row sibling range from $2,000 to $2,500, according to Automotive News.

But the Santa Fe Sport fared poorly in Cars.com’s last mid-size SUV comparison, no? It placed fourth out of five as judges noted poor visibility, thin seats and a peaky turbo engine. That said, this list is about money, not merits. And Hyundai is slashing a lot.

Nissan Frontier

How much can I save? If you can do with the four-cylinder instead of the V-6, a lot. Automotive News says Nissan is offering $500 to $3,750 on the Frontier until July 5, though most deals we found were isolated to the four-cylinder Frontier SV — a configuration that accounts for about 15 percent of 2017 Frontier inventory on Cars.com. Sales ebbed a modest 2.3 percent last month versus a monster year-ago month, but the mid-size pickup truck still averaged a worse-than-average 77 days on dealer lots for the extended cab (84 days for the crew cab).

What about discount financing? Automotive News didn’t list any financing offers, so you’ll have to negotiate on regular rates.

But I hear even Frontier owners don’t like their purchases. That seems the case, per Consumer Reports. But it’s hard to expect much else, given the Frontier enters its 13th model year without a full redesign. That’s an eternity. You know how Kevin Spacey impersonated Johnny Carson during Sunday’s Tony Awards? Well, when Nissan unveiled this generation of the Frontier in early 2004, Johnny Carson was still around. It’s one ancient truck, but this list is about incentives. The Frontier has big ones.

Get 2017 Nissan Frontier DetailsFind a 2017 Nissan Frontier Near You

2017 Ford Escape

Cars.com photo by Joe Bruzek

Ford Escape

How much can I save? A ton. The Escape averaged a brisk 57 days on dealer lots in May, but sales still fell 9.8 percent. Ford has piled on the incentives, with cash discounts on the Escape as high as $5,000 this month. Most regions we checked had discounts from $3,000 to $4,000, but that’s still nothing to sneeze at — especially since Ford offers them across many trim levels. The deals expire June 21 in some markets, so hurry.

What about discount financing? Cut-rate financing on the Escape is as low as 2.9 percent.

Is the Escape bad, too? On the contrary, Ford’s popular compact SUV topped its rivals in a Cars.com comparison last year as judges raved about its intuitive dashboard touchscreen, comfortable ride and easy child-safety seat accommodations. We’d report discounts like this regardless, but in the Escape’s case, it’s a win-win.

Get 2017 Ford Escape DetailsFind a 2017 Ford Escape Near You

The Returnees

We focus on cars new to the list or ones we haven’t highlighted in the past few months. But many cars from recent months still have high discounts in June:

Ford Focus

Ford Fusion

Ford Mustang

Hyundai Sonata

Jeep Cherokee

Jeep Patriot

Jeep Renegade

Toyota Corolla, Corolla iM

How We Look For Deals

To look for June deals, we considered sales in May among the top 100 best-selling cars, specifically eyeing models whose sales underperformed the market. We also looked at days-to-turn data from May, which measures how long it takes on average for dealers to sell a given car. Both factors illustrate May’s slow sellers, cars on which dealers could be more willing to cut a deal.

Finally, we looked at factory cash discounts and low-interest-rate financing offers that are especially high for the price of the car. (After all, $2,000 is a lot more on a Ford Focus than a Ford Explorer.)

Sales and incentives data come from Automotive News and automakers’ websites, while days-to-turn data come from J.D. Power and Associates. Remember, our numbers are national in scope and reflect advertised customer discounts, not unadvertised factory-to-dealer cash. Discount financing typically requires qualifying credit, too, and incentives may vary by region and trim level. In sum: Your discounts may vary, so check with your local dealer for specifics.

HIGHLIGHTS

NASA has postponed until June 11 the launch of a sounding rocket which will release blue-green and red artificial clouds.

The rocket’s scheduled launch for Sunday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility was scrubbed due to clouds impacting the ability to test the new ampoule ejection system designed to support studies of the ionosphere and aurora.

“While the launch window runs through June 6, forecast weather is not conducive for supporting the test mission through the remainder of the window. The launch is now scheduled for not earlier than June 11, pending range availability,” NASA said in a statement.

The rocket will eject 10 canisters about the size of a soft drink can between 10 to 20km from the rocket’s main payload, and these containers will release the vapour between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch.

These clouds or vapour tracers allow scientists on the ground to visually track particle motions in space.

The development of the multi-canister or ampule ejection system will allow scientists to gather information over a much larger area than previously allowed when deploying the vapour just from the main payload.

Ground cameras will be stationed at Wallops and in Duck, North Carolina, to view the vapour tracers. Clear skies are required at one of the two ground stations for this test.

The June 4 attempt was the fourth for this mission. The first two attempts were scrubbed due to winds and clouds. The third attempt was scrubbed due to boats in the launch hazard area.